When I am a grandmother

When I am a grandmother, I will probably think this is darling. I will probably leave the handprints where they are until the summer showers wash them away.

I will probably say something affirming like, "How creative you are to squish your hands in the paint and then slap your hands against the house. You are truly experiencing art!"

But today, I am not a grandmother. I am a mom in the trenches, and all I can manage is, " Now that you've shown the world how you can walk on your hands like a baboon, how about show me how you can wield a scrub brush?"

This morning several of my children had difficulty getting along with each other. Instead of losing it (as I am apt to do when they bicker first thing in the morning), I tried vision casting again. Our on-the-way-to-school devotional time consisted of each kid answering the question, "What kind of family do we want to be?" And then, each kid in turn asked Jesus for help in becoming that kind of family. Every kid knew the right answers. The problem doesn't seem to be information, it's inspiration. We asked Jesus for help, acknowledging that doing the right thing is easier said than done, and that we desperately need Him to change our hearts.

I have a feeling that our greatest achievement this summer might just be getting along with each other - a feat accomplished only by the grace and kindness of God. May we be teachable and learn from Him, and learn to clean up the messes we make!

 

Isaiah 1:18 NIV

 

"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Baseball, blooms, and bugs

Ummm, guess which one is my kid! So like his Daddy

Tulips and kind words from my Mom on Mother's Day.

$1.99 roses from Aldi

Last year's orchid that decided to bloom again.

Home safe and sound (and luggage recovered).

Tournament Week

Not pictured: a 400 pound roach with 12 antennae... At least from the screaming, crying, and carrying on commotion, that's what it must have looked like to one kid. Pest control came by today before we had to cart that kid off to the trauma unit.

 

Mother's Day

Pretty impressive for my eleven-year-old chef...breakfast crepes!

Family time

Hunting for blue-striped skinks in Uncle Trey's pasture

 

One of the things I love about my husband is his sense of humor. He sent me this photo of a chocolate croissant from Germany with a caption that read "Thinking of you"

Then he sent me this photo with the caption "Thinking of me!"

Many thanks to Trey and Michelle for hosting us

 

Beautiful things

Today I got to talk to my husband via Skype-phone.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/405192963/landfill-harmonic-inspiring-dreams-one-note-at-a-t

 

I cooked a turkey I had forgotten in the deep freeze when our old refrigerator hummed it's last hum.

I enjoyed afternoon tea with my extended family in honor of Mother's Day.

 

My girls made the tea treats while we had girls' sing-along-with-the musical night.

Walking with my sister-in-law and involving my older girls in raising funds for cancer research.

 

Listening to a clip of children from a barrio in Paraguay who play recycled instruments and create beauty while living in the midst of garbage.

 

Mother's Day

It just so happens that my husband will be away on business this Mother's Day. He was kind to get the kids to sign a card and send me a pajama gram in advance. Since I picked the pajamas out myself, I have great self-control on not opening the UPS package and let it sit on the dining room table until Sunday morning. Can't say the same for the card that I already read and licked back together. (I often read the end of novels first too.)

Although Will has mentioned every day that he wants to "make" me frozen pancakes for breakfast, I think the day may be without much ceremony. So, the kids and I are celebrating by having one-on-one time with mom all week. You normal moms probably do this all the time, but I can't consistently have one-on-one times with each kid every week. I'm usually all out of steam just keeping the ball rolling. So, the week before Mother's Day seemed like as good a time as any to be a little more intentional with the kids.

Different kids like to do different things. Some like to snuggle in our comfy bed and read stories at bedtime. Some like to answer conversation starter questions and have me record their answers in a journal. Some like to swap spa treatments like hair-brushing and styling. Some like the opportunity for me to listen to their negotiation skills as they persist in explaining why I should buy them a certain toy before their birthday that is five months away.

I wished I listened more carefully more often. But, at least here and there, they know that they have my complete attention.

The week's family bonding included:

A forced fun family walk/ bike ride

Three baseball games

Ballet practice and piano practice

A field trip to the strawberry patch

Apples to Apples board game

Visiting my mom and Andy's parents

Walking with Aunt Nee Nee for the cure for breast cancer

Eating dinner at Aunt Michelle's house

When I asked my daughter why she always made crazy faces in pictures she said (without missing a beat) "because I'm me!"

 

63 words

Today is a day of simple praises:

My new-to-English first grader read 63 different words in a story I got from the library. This may not seem like much, but when you are struggling for every letter by name and multiple sounds, this is something. I can see the progress!

My husband landed in a foreign country and is resting between comfy sheets after the long flight.

My tween girl has discovered the garage band app and is creating something musical and productive in her no-homework-because-it's-PASS testing-week free time.

My kids got a free breakfast from McDonalds in honor of PASS week.

I got to chaperone a field trip with my youngest two to the strawberry patch, and even though it rained, they had a good time.

The rain stopped in time for a baseball game and our youngest son pulled his own tooth in the dugout since his Dad was away on business and I don't like to do that!

 

 

Weeds

This morning I pulled a million-bajillion weeds from our front beds. Every time I weed I marvel at how these plants make their way into my flowers with no help from me. They just appear. I carefully plant bulbs in hopes of having beautiful flowers, but weeds just come on their own. They pop-up out of nowhere, and they must be removed before they ruin my garden.

I am similarly surprised when "weeds" pop up in our family life. One day we are beaming over children who receive awards for completing Bible courses.

And the next moment we are embarrassed at displays of showboating (from not one, but two kids in separate ceremonies!)

We gush with praise when excellent interim reports and medals for acing Latin exams come home. Then moments later, we are called by the principal's office to learn that one kid threatened another kid when provoked. Yikes!

Family harmony one minute. Bowls of oatmeal flying at another's head the next. Time for some weed-removal.

As such, we have decided to reel in the electronics and friend-time until the Davises can get along with one another a little more consistently. There were many wails of complaint, but we are resolute. May is dedicated to pulling the weeds of selfishness and mean-spiritedness out of our hearts.

Last night we ALL attended one son's ball game...in the rain (wondering why those crazy coaches never call anything off) to show support on a late school-night when we normally would have been tempted to send one parent as a family representative.

Children who fight with one another get to serve one another by making each other's beds and doing each other's chores...with thank you notes left on pillows to show gratitude.

I have no idea if any of this will make a lasting impression, but I pray desperately that they will not only survive our family years together, but bond into a vessel that Jesus can use for His glory.

Words of wisdom appreciated if you have any stellar ideas on how to promote sibling harmony.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do no grow weary, (Galatians 6:9, NIV).